by Jaden Skye
Megan suddenly looked wounded. “Not necessarily,” she replied. “I cared for Tyron, I wished him well. We had good times together before he got sick. Even after he got sick, in the beginning, things were okay.”
Olivia listened closely, but Megan’s voice had now become flat. Talking to Wayne, it seemed she started repeating the same party line over and over. How could any young woman not feel trapped in a situation like this, though?
“Are you coming to the funeral tomorrow morning?” Megan changed the topic of conversation swiftly then.
“Yes, we are,” Olivia responded.
“Good, you’ll hear them all speak about Tyron. Don’t believe anything you hear. They’re just putting on a show. Deep down they’re all vultures.”
“We’re prepared for everything,” Wayne replied.
“And what do you think about the video I have here?” Megan returned to the main point. “Is this solid evidence against Bella?” Megan seemed intent upon defending herself.
“I don’t know if the video is solid evidence,” Wayne answered slowly. “But it doesn’t look good for Bella now. At the very least, it raises suspicion.”
“We’ll talk to Bella again after the funeral,” Olivia added. “Can we tell her about the video?”
“Yes, you can!” Megan’s eyes flashed. “See how she defends herself once she hears you have something on her. And show the video to the police as well. This should take their focus off me, shouldn’t it?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” Olivia answered, suddenly sad. “The video is circumstantial, but it should certainly cause the police to broaden their view and think twice about Bella.”
Megan flipped her head back and shook her hair off her shoulders. “Well, it’s better than nothing! I’ll see you at the funeral tomorrow.”
“Yes,” said Wayne, “and directly after that, we’ll talk to Bella.”
“What are you going to do in the meantime?” Megan zeroed in on Wayne, wanting an accounting of their activities.
“I’m investigating Tyron’s finances and business dealings,” Wayne reported. “Olivia’s spending her time talking to the different people involved in his life.”
“Like who?” Megan’s eyes flashed.
“Like Alice, Kayle, Lana, and others,” Olivia answered, wanting to be circumspect. “Even though she was technically working for Megan she wanted the freedom to talk to whoever caught her eye. Olivia wondered if she should ask for permission to speak to Megan’s friends and acquaintances now. If she did, she was concerned that Megan might feel that she was under investigation herself.
“Do you have any other suggestions for me?” Olivia asked.
“Of course I have,” Megan said softly. “But the time has to be right. First I want to see how things go. And what’s your guess now? Who do you think did it?” Megan challenged Olivia, seeking reassurance that Olivia didn’t suspect her.
“I truly don’t know yet,” Olivia said truthfully.
“But who do you suspect?” Megan zeroed in.
“I’m always careful not to suspect anyone until I have solid evidence,” Olivia responded.
“And what if you never get any solid evidence?” Megan wouldn’t back down.
“I always do,” Olivia replied. “If I’m patient enough and thorough enough and go step by step with my eyes wide open, the truth is always revealed.”
Megan seemed startled. “Always?”
“It never fails,” said Olivia firmly. “The truth has a life of its own. It can only be hidden for so long.”
Megan spun away then. “I’ll see you both at the funeral,” she repeated as she quickly went out the door.
*
The funeral was being held in an old stone church in Naples, not far from the very end of town. Even though it was early in the morning, the place was filled to overflowing. Olivia was surprised to see how many had turned out for the final good-bye to Tyron. She and Wayne slipped into a pew in the back row and looked around.
“Did Tyron really have this many friends?” Olivia asked.
“Nobody wants to miss out on this event.” Wayne looked around. “There are business acquaintances here, friends, old-timers he knew. But it’s the way he died that’s drawing everybody. And, for all we know, the killer’s right here in our midst.”
Olivia shivered. “Who? Point them out to me.”
Wayne shook his head. “Not sure yet. Just sensing it out carefully.”
“Did you find something about Tyron’s business dealings that makes you say that?” Olivia asked.
“His dealings were convoluted and lots of people were on the take,” Wayne reported. “Tyron invested in questionable business deals too. He probably raked in more money than he should have. But he gave a lot away to charity, too. A lot of the charities he gave to must be seated right here, too.”
“Did what he gave to others and received for himself balance out?” asked Olivia.
“In a way it did,” Wayne replied. “But there’s definitely the possibility that someone didn’t get what they thought was their due. This could be a vengeance killing. “
“Could be,” Olivia murmured, “but I don’t think so. Tyron would have had to have done something truly awful to someone to be killed the way he was. That’s not the feel I have of him.”
“No, it’s not,” Wayne agreed. “Of course, Bella could have had enough and in the heat of the moment, given him a good shove. She seemed pretty irate in the video. It could have been something that happened on impulse.”
“No, that’s not it.” Olivia didn’t agree. “There’s no residual evidence of any kind. It couldn’t be an impulse killing, seems too carefully planned out.”
Suddenly the church chimes rang out and the pastor stood in front of the crowd. To begin he offered a prayer and then hymns. The organ played and the congregation joined in the singing. The grim mood in the church began to lift as it filled with song.
“We have come here to honor our beloved father, husband, friend, and companion of many years,” the pastor started. “There are many who wish to stand up and speak about Tyron. First, I will call up his dear daughter, Kayle.”
Kayle, walking pointedly, went up to the center of the platform, took the microphone, and without any hesitation began speaking about her beloved father. She started by saying how the loss of him would haunt her the rest of her life.
“Why didn’t they start the eulogies with Megan?” Olivia asked. “After all, she’s the wife.”
“I doubt that Megan will get up in front of the crowd and speak,” Wayne replied. “She feels too threatened and disliked. It was probably all she could do to show up.”
Olivia looked around the church then to see if she could spot Megan. She finally saw her sitting at the edge of a front row with two young women beside her.
“Those young women must be some of the friends she was talking about,” Olivia whispered to Wayne.
“Must be.” Wayne seemed strangely unconcerned about Megan though.
Olivia looked to see if Cameron Fern was around somewhere as well. So far, she didn’t see her.
After Kayle completed her eulogy, Lana came up and said a few words. She emphasized how her father’s long illness had ruined not only his life but his judgment. And how hard it had been for everyone. That was a subtle barb at Megan, thought Olivia. Lana was obviously pointing to his judgment about marrying her—even though he hadn’t gotten ill until after marrying Megan.
After that, to everyone’s surprise, Tyron’s ex-wife , Alice, was called to the platform. Dressed in a black silk dress with a black lace veil on her head, she was clearly playing the role of the grieving widow.
“I feel compelled to publicly say good-bye to Tyron,” Alice spoke in a strange and broken tone. “Despite the seeming rupture in our relationship, we stayed close over all the years. And now this horrible parting. I’m here to say I’m sorry, I’m here to say this is wrong. Tyron didn’t deserve this. I didn’t either.”
&n
bsp; The church grew silent as she spoke.
“It’s brave of her to speak here,” Wayne commented.
Olivia didn’t agree and she didn’t like it. Olivia felt strangely disturbed as Alice went on and on.
“I don’t think it’s so brave,” Olivia replied. “It’s Megan who should be up there speaking. But Alice probably intimidated her.”
“There’s no reason to think that.” Wayne looked perplexed.
“Megan is much younger than Alice. She stole away her husband and now that Tyron’s gone, the two of them are vying for position,” said Olivia. “Look at Megan over there.”
Megan seemed practically crumpled in her seat in the corner. Oddly, Clay was sitting behind her, his hand on Megan’s shoulder now.
“Clay seems to feel bad for Megan, doesn’t he?” Olivia continued.
“Seems like Clay’s trying to give her strength,” Wayne commented, standing up and looking over at him.
“It seems like he’s a decent guy,” said Olivia, “the only one of them who cares about her at all.”
“Yes, it does,” Wayne agreed, “and I can see why. They’re in similar positions in a way, both married to much older spouses. Clay relates to Megan’s situation. They probably have a lot in common.”
“They do have a lot in common,” Olivia replied. “They’re both trapped in this crazy family.”
“Megan and Clay’s connection raises questions, though, wouldn’t you say?” asked Wayne.
Olivia had just been wondering about it as well. “It could, of course,” she murmured. “I could see how it could have disturbed Alice, if she realized.”
“Of course she realized. She realizes everything,” Wayne quipped as Alice’s voice rang out loudly in the church.
“Tyron was my beloved once and always.” Alice went on and on. “He was a good man, he had a good heart, but he got trapped by all kinds of people.”
“Just listen to Alice going on and on,” said Olivia. “It sounds like she’s coming apart at the seams.”
“She probably always was that way,” said Wayne.
“So, I could see why Clay would want to be close to someone his age,” Olivia commented. “What kind of marriage could it be for Clay?”
“It’s a marriage he chose,” Wayne said slowly. “You don’t know why he chose it either, and neither do I.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Just before the funeral ended, Olivia and Wayne slipped out and stood to the side of the church. Olivia was waiting to see what would happen next. In a little while, the church doors opened and the people streamed out onto the street. Before long the sidewalk in front of the church was overflowing.
Olivia looked around carefully to see who had attended and where they were now. Most had come with others but a few were here alone. Bella stood by herself on the sidelines, watching everybody, and Megan left her two friends and rushed home immediately.
Alice and Clay, Kayle and her fiancé, and Lana stood at the center of the gathering accepting condolences. Others gathered together in small clusters to talk before dispersing and leaving their dear friend Tyron behind.
Olivia and Wayne edged over to Bella slowly and stood beside her for a few moments.
“A terrible day, isn’t it?” Olivia remarked.
“A tragic day,” Bella muttered, not meeting Olivia’s eyes.
“Please accept our condolences,” Wayne offered.
“Thank you very much,” said Bella. “Not one other person here has said that to me. No one even noticed I was attending. In their eyes, I’m nothing, but I was the one who took care of him day after day, night after night. I’m the only one who’s really grieving.”
“You did a fine job,” Wayne interjected.
“Maybe.” Bella shrugged. “But did you hear all the stuff they said in there about him? It was all a show. None of it meant a thing. Not one of them really gave a damn.”
“Megan didn’t give a damn?” asked Wayne.
Bella shrugged and looked around. “Megan gave such a damn she didn’t say a word at the funeral and just ran away as fast as she could.”
Bella was being harsh, thought Olivia. There were many reasons that Megan might not have been able to speak and had to get away.
“Do you think we could have a little time with you back home today?” Olivia asked quickly.
“Why?” Bella seemed surprised by the request.
“We just want to talk to you a bit more before you leave the home,” Wayne explained.
Bella bristled. “Who said I’m leaving? I’m not leaving the home so fast. The police want me to stay there until they’ve gotten all the information they need.”
“They have a lot of it already,” Wayne replied. “It won’t take much longer.”
“Who knows?” Bella objected.
“The police are hoping you can help them,” Olivia said, “and we’re hoping you can help us too.”
Bella seemed to like that. It must have made her feel important. “Okay,” she answered. “Come over anytime. Come over now. In fact, the sooner the better.”
As Olivia and Wayne accompanied Bella back to the home a silence fell over all of them in the cab.
“I miss the old guy,” Bella said as the taxi pulled up to the door. “This shouldn’t have happened. Tyron died before his time and everyone knows it.”
Olivia felt bad for Bella. “Where will you go after this is all over?”
Bella tipped her head and looked at Olivia strangely. “It’s never gonna be over,” she muttered. “If you ask me, it’s gonna go on and on for years. The court cases are gonna wind all over each other and trip each other up. And the family is going to want me to stay on right where I am, because they’ll all need me on their side. Everyone knows that I was the one who was there from the beginning. I’m the one who remembers everything.”
Olivia was startled by Bella’s response. “You remember everything?”
“I have a memory like an elephant. I never forget. Nothing slips my mind. I remember what went on every single day,” Bella continued.
“And you’ve told law enforcement all that you know?” Wayne jumped in immediately.
“When someone asks a question, I answer,” Bella remarked. “I don’t know what they need to know until they ask me, do I?”
The three of them got out of the taxi and went into the house. Their steps echoed on the floor of the entranceway and the place seemed empty and forlorn.
“It’s crazy to be at the house without him,” Bella said sadly then.
“Where is everybody?” asked Wayne.
“They’re all going out to eat after the funeral,” Bella remarked. “No one will be back here for a few hours, thank God. You can ask me what you want in peace. I won’t have to look over my shoulder.”
“How about Megan?” Olivia asked. “Where did she go? Isn’t she here somewhere?”
Bella shrugged. “Megan has hardly said two words to me since Tyron died. She’s probably hiding away upstairs in her quarters. Or maybe she’s with her friends. How do I know?”
“Is she different from the way she was before?” Wayne needed to know.
“In the beginning Megan was around a lot of the time,” Bella replied. “As time went on, I saw her less and less. This past month or so she’s been like a shadow, drifting in and out. A strange shadow, I’d say.”
Olivia took it all in. Clearly, Bella was insinuating something about Megan. Olivia wanted to get the whole story quickly, but didn’t want to scare Bella off.
“Let’s go sit in the main room and talk,” Wayne suggested.
Bella agreed to it immediately and they all went in and sat down. The main room was large and quiet now, except for the sound of the wind blowing outside.
“Rain’s coming later tonight,” Bella murmured. “Tyron loved it when it rained. He’d sit at the window in here and watch the rain fall for hours.”
The image was haunting. “What was he thinking about?” asked Olivia. “Was he a l
onely man?”
Bella smirked. “Funny that you say that. Everyone thinks Tyron had the whole world at his fingertips, but you’re absolutely right. Basically, he had no one, he was extremely lonely. Whoever he had was around for his money. And he wasn’t stupid, he realized that.”
Olivia wondered if that also included Bella, but she didn’t say anything.
“Tyron was lonely even though he was married to Megan?” Wayne abruptly joined the conversation. “Was he lonely even during the early part of their marriage?”
“The early part was the early part.” Bella ran her hand over her arms. “Everyone’s happy in the beginning, aren’t they?”
Olivia flinched at the comment. Bella had an odd wisdom of her own.
“I heard Tyron was completely infatuated with Megan when they met,” Olivia commented.
“Yes, that’s right, he was.” Bella gazed away. “Believe it or not, I actually tried to warn him about her then. I said, she’s not as pretty as you think, honey. Tyron looked at me funny and paid no attention. Then I said, a pretty face doesn’t last very long. In a way I saw what was coming. I didn’t see him killed this way, though.”
Rankled, Olivia stood up from the sofa. In her own meek way, Bella was powerful and also frightening. Olivia couldn’t get the video of Bella screaming at Tyron out of her mind.
“How did you see Tyron’s life going?” Olivia asked quickly.
“I didn’t think about it much, actually.” Bella stood up too then. “And I didn’t have to wonder either. Tyron actually told me how he felt about most things. I became his confidant as the years went by. Who else could he really talk to? Who else would listen to him and not make a fuss? Tyron trusted me.”
“That’s good,” said Olivia, encouraging Bella to continue.
Bella smiled and nodded. “It was good that he could talk to me, for sure. Tyron got more and more upset with Megan over time. How couldn’t he? Things didn’t stay as they were.”
“They never do,” murmured Wayne.
“Megan’s true colors started to come out,” Bella continued. “She really couldn’t stand Tyron, and anyone with half a brain could see that. Including Tyron. But he was too ashamed to admit he’d made a mistake and that he couldn’t stand her. After all, he had a young beautiful wife and it made him look good in everyone’s eyes. People looked up to him and he wasn’t about to spoil that.”